Success Stories

Nakita, the American Staffordshire Terrier

One of the saddest animal abuse cases the Plattsburgh Police Department has ever handled was that of the American Staffordshire Terrier. On December 5, 2014, officers found the poor dog tied to a fire hydrant on US Oval fighting for life. She was grossly underweight and malnourished and her body temperature was well below normal. It was obvious that she did not have anything to eat or drink for a very long time. Officers brought the dog to Dr. Erik Eaglefeather for much needed medical attention. He was appalled at the state she was in.

The Plattsburgh Police Department was taking a finance hit to care for this animal. After posting the story of the Terrier to social media, the donations started to come in. The residents of the City of Plattsburgh were just as appalled as the officers and staff of the Plattsburgh Police Department. Food and money donations were brought to the department and before we knew it, all of the medical expenses were taken care of!

After ten days of treatment, the Terrier showed great improvement. On December 15th, she had gained eight pounds and after several applications were reviewed, she was released into foster care. Her foster parents named her Nakita. Because the investigation to find the person responsible for this awful crime was still ongoing, Nakita was not eligible for adoption and it was unclear when she would be.

Following a tip, the responsible party was located and charges were made. Officers were able to obtain rights to the dog from her owner and the adoption process began. Her foster family had fallen in love with her and adopted her right away! Nakita had found her forever home and her abuser was brought to justice.